Articles
Videos
From artist interviews to curator-led tours of our exhibitions, catch up on our latest online videos.
Inside the Academy
4 days ago
Video: Merry Christmas from the Burlington House choir
We hope you have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. See you in 2025.
RA Exhibitions
2 months ago
Video: drawing on gallery walls with tape
Michael Craig-Martin RA talks about his series of wall drawings featuring instantly recognisable objects.
RA Exhibitions
2 months ago
Video: changing a glass of water into an oak tree
Michael Craig-Martin RA talks about his best-known early work, An Oak Tree.
RA Exhibitions
3 months ago
Video: Michael Craig-Martin RA introduces his colourful retrospective
Take a look inside the galleries, filled with everyday objects in dazzling colours.
Artists
4 months ago
My sketchbook: polar painting with Emma Stibbon
Take a look inside the sketchbook of Emma Stibbon and learn how her arctic landscapes come to life.
RA Exhibitions
4 months ago
Video: Who was Davyd Burliuk?
Meet the (self-proclaimed) father of Russian Futurism and a key figure in Ukrainian Modernism.
RA Exhibitions
5 months ago
Video: meet the artists of the Summer Exhibition 2024
Hear from some of the artists in this year’s show and find out more about their work.
RA Recommends
6 months ago
Video: what does the Summer Exhibition mean to you?
We asked guests at the Summer Exhibition Preview Party what they love most about the Summer Exhibition.
RA Exhibitions
7 months ago
Video: A ‘Meddling Fiend’ takes over the courtyard
Watch artist Nicola Turner talk about how she created her sculpture ‘The Meddling Fiend’ for the Summer Exhibition 2024.
Our Collection
7 months ago
Video: Historic casts are re-installed at the RA Schools
After years in storage, watch as our cast collection is re-installed around the RA Schools.
RA Exhibitions
8 months ago
Video: Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh on 18th-century star Emma, Lady Hamilton
Watch Adjoa Andoh, Bridgerton’s Lady Danbury uncover the story behind Angelica Kauffman’s muse Emma, Lady Hamilton.
Artists
9 months ago
My sketchbook: designing the houses of the future with Peter Barber RA
Take a look inside the sketchbook of architect Peter Barber RA and learn how he draws buildings and neighbourhoods.
RA Exhibitions
9 months ago
Video: Interview with a Paintbrush
Writer and performer, Vanessa Kisuule responds to our latest exhibition ‘Entangled Pasts, 1768–now’ in her poem ‘Interview with a Paintbrush’.
RA Exhibitions
9 months ago
Video: a closer look at ‘The First Supper’
Artist Tavares Strachan reimagines Leonardo’s ‘The Last Supper’.
RA Exhibitions
10 months ago
Video: take a look inside ‘Entangled Pasts, 1768–now’
This spring, past and present collide in our powerful exhibition in the Main Galleries.
RA Exhibitions
1 year ago
Video: attitudes to nudity in art
Watch Marina Abramović discuss her performance ‘Imponderabillia’ first performed over 40 years ago.
RA Exhibitions
1 year ago
Video: introducing ‘Entangled Pasts, 1768–now: Art, Colonialism and Change’
Artist Lubaina Himid RA talks to us about our next exhibition in the Main Galleries.
Artists
> 1 year ago
My sketchbook: colourful drawings by Bob and Roberta Smith RA
Take a look inside the sketchbook of Bob and Roberta Smith RA and learn how to create a visual poem.
Artists
> 1 year ago
Video: Catherine Opie on photographing leading British artists
Catherine Opie discusses her portraits of David Hockney, Anish Kapoor, Gillian Wearing, Isaac Julien and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, featured in our free display in the Collection Gallery.
Inside the Academy
> 1 year ago
Video: new posters on display
Watch our team refresh our iconic Poster Bar for the first time since 2018, featuring 21 new posters from our past exhibitions.
Artists
> 1 year ago
My sketchbook: Emyr’s life drawings and abstract lines
Take a look inside the sketchbook of artist Emyr Williams and learn how drawing with your opposite hand can improve your technique.
RA Exhibitions
> 1 year ago
Introducing Bêka & Lemoine
Edwin Heathcote meets the architectural filmmakers whose documentary of life in a rehabilitation centre is featured in the RA’s Herzog & de Meuron show.
RA Exhibitions
> 1 year ago
Video: meet the artists of the Young Artists’ Summer Show 2023
Hear from some of the artists in this year’s Young Artists’ Summer Show as they tell us the stories behind their works selected for display at the RA.
RA Exhibitions
> 1 year ago
Video: two-minute tour of the Summer Exhibition 2023
Take a quick trip through more than 1,600 works on display in this year’s show.
RA Exhibitions
> 1 year ago
Video: meet the artists of the Summer Exhibition 2023
Hear from some of the artists in this year’s show and find out more about their work.
RA Exhibitions
> 1 year ago
Video: inside ‘Souls Grown Deep like the Rivers’ with Emma Dabiri
Writer and broadcaster Emma Dabiri picks four powerful works by Black artists from the American South that you can see in our current exhibition.
RA Exhibitions
> 1 year ago
Introducing our 2024 exhibitions
From Ukranian modernism and Renaissance masters to a landmark decolonial show, we can reveal our stellar programme for next year.
Artists
> 1 year ago
My sketchbook: Adebanji’s people, landscapes and cows
Take a look inside the sketchbook of artist Adebanji Alade, known as the Addictive Sketcher, and learn some of the techniques he uses in his drawings.
Artists
> 1 year ago
Video: Bob and Roberta Smith’s flags for Mayfair
This summer, Bob and Roberta Smith RA is designing flags to be flown throughout Mayfair in London. We visited his studio to find out the story behind the designs.
Artists
< 2 years ago
My sketchbook: Samira’s geometric drawings
Take a look inside the sketchbook of artist and educator Samira Mian and learn how to draw mesmerising geometric patterns.
RA Exhibitions
< 2 years ago
Video: acclaimed Spanish chef José Pizarro on ‘Spain and the Hispanic World’
José Pizarro shares his highlights from our “very special” exhibition in the Main Galleries.
RA Exhibitions
< 2 years ago
Video: unboxing ‘Souls Grown Deep like the Rivers’
Watch our team install composite sculptures and precious quilts as we prepare for our latest exhibition.
RA Exhibitions
< 2 years ago
Video: inside ‘Spain and the Hispanic World’ with the exhibition’s curators
Take a journey through 4,000 years of art-making across Spain and Latin America, guided by RA curator Adrian Locke and Director of the Hispanic Society Museum and Library, Guillaume Kientz.
RA Exhibitions
< 2 years ago
Video: unboxing treasures from Spain and the Hispanic World
Take a look behind the scenes of our blockbuster exhibition ‘Spain and the Hispanic World’ as our team prepare the Main Galleries.
RA Exhibitions
2 years ago
Video: inside ‘Making Modernism’ with the exhibition’s curators
Take a look around our show devoted to trailblazing women of 20th-century Modernism, guided by its curators Sarah Lea and Professor Dorothy Price.
RA Exhibitions
2 years ago
Video: watch William Kentridge drawing on the walls of the Royal Academy
Artist William Kentridge found a way to stay entertained while we built his blockbuster show in the Royal Academy Main Galleries – by drawing onto our 400-year old walls. See what he created here…
RA Exhibitions
2 years ago
Video: William Kentridge Exhibition Tour
Globally acclaimed artist William Kentridge guides us through his exhibition, discussing the inspirations, processes and ambitions behind his immersive installations.
Inside the Academy
2 years ago
Video: meet the winning practice of the Royal Academy Dorfman Award 2022
Vinu Daniel, founder of India-based firm Wallmakers, explains his unique approach to architecture and what winning the Dorfman Award means to him.
RA Exhibitions
2 years ago
Milton Avery: American Colourist Tour
Take a virtual stroll through the galleries of the celebrated North American painter and colour aficionado – guided by curator Edith Devaney, advisor to the Milton Avery Trust Waqas Wajahat, and Avery’s grandson and artist Sean Cavanaugh.
RA Exhibitions
> 2 years ago
Video: meet the artists of the Young Artists’ Summer Show 2022
Meet some of the stars of this year’s Young Artists’ Summer Show as they tell us the stories behind their works selected for display at the RA.
RA Exhibitions
> 2 years ago
Summer Exhibition 2022: two-minute tour
Take a quick trip through the 1,500 works on display in this year’s climate-themed show.
RA Exhibitions
> 2 years ago
The Artists of the Summer Exhibition 2022
Meet some of the artists from this year’s show and find out more about their work and their feelings on the theme of Climate.
RA Exhibitions
> 2 years ago
Introducing our 2023 exhibitions
From rare treasures created in Spain and the Hispanic world, to re-performances of Marina Abramović’s best-known works, our 2023 programme gives everyone something to look forward to.
Artists
> 2 years ago
How to: make a character house
Instead of throwing cereal containers and milk cartons away, use them to make a miniature house with character.
RA Exhibitions
> 2 years ago
Frogs and Fart Battles: Kyōsai in 60 seconds
Meet one of the most exciting Japanese painters of the 19th century.
RA Exhibitions
> 2 years ago
Francis Bacon: “I’m always labelled with horror”
Listen to Francis Bacon talk about how he paints and how his images form.
RA Exhibitions
< 3 years ago
Who was Whistler’s Woman in White?
Take a tour of the exhibition ‘Whistler’s Woman in White: Joanna Hiffernan’ with its curators, and delve into the life of the artist’s principal model.
RA Exhibitions
< 3 years ago
Inside ‘Francis Bacon: Man and Beast’ with curator, Michael Peppiatt
We spoke to Francis Bacon’s friend, Michael Peppiatt, about the exhibition ‘Man and Beast’ and how Bacon’s vision of humanity was shaped by his interest in animals.
Artists
3 years ago
How to: paint with words like Patrick Moses
Try making a painting inspired by words like Summer Exhibition 2021 artist Patrick Moses.
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
Late Constable Tour with Curator Anne Lyles
Explore the exhibition of late works by one of Britain’s best-loved artists.
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
Documentary: inside ‘Gauguin and the Impressionists’ exhibition
Our sold-out exhibition, ‘Gauguin and The Impressionists’, makes its big screen debut this winter thanks to our friends at ‘Exhibition on Screen’. Experience the show from home with this exclusive 10-minute clip, featuring curator Anna Ferrari and Secretary and Chief Executive, Axel Rüger.
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
Video: Annette Fernando at the Summer Exhibition 2021
Annette Fernando – a first-time exhibitor at the Summer Exhibition – talks us through her work, ‘Stop being so damn understanding’ which is so intricate, it’s often mistaken for a photo.
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
Light Lines Tour with Hélène Binet
Explore the exhibition of stunning architectural photographs.
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
The Artists of the Summer Exhibition 2021
Meet some of the artists on show at the Summer Exhibition.
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
Summer Exhibition 2021 Tour with Yinka Shonibare RA
Explore our most diverse and inclusive Summer Exhibition ever.
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
Harry Hill at the Summer Exhibition 2021
Comedian and amateur artist Harry Hill talks us through his artworks at the Summer Exhibition 2021.
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
Step inside Hélène Binet’s London studio
We meet the photographer in her studio to discuss her upcoming exhibition ‘Light Lines’, her love of music, and her ability to ‘draw’ with light.
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Inside the Summer Exhibition 2021 with Yinka Shonibare RA
Summer Exhibition coordinator Yinka Shonibare RA explains his vision for this year’s show
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Video: painting on Lubugo bark cloth
Artist Michael Armitage paints on a material called Lubugo, which is made by the Baganda people of southern Uganda. Discover how Lubugo’s crafted, and how Armitage incorporates its imperfections into his work.
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Meet the artists in the Young Artists’ Summer Show
Get to know the inspiring artists of tomorrow as we take a look around this year’s Young Artists’ Summer Show.
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Virtual tour: Michael Armitage, Paradise Edict
Can’t visit the RA right now? Explore the colourful, dreamlike works of Kenya-born artist Michael Armitage from your sofa, in our latest virtual tour.
Artists
> 3 years ago
Saturday Sketch Club: drawing into the abstract
Join Emyr Williams for a workshop in how to create your own abstract drawings
Artists
> 3 years ago
Saturday Sketch Club: experimenting with the figure
Join artist Jake Garfield for this fun and informal life drawing session
Artists
> 3 years ago
How to: design a greenhouse
Experiment with making miniature architectural models using just toothpicks and plasticine.
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Inside the exhibition: ‘Michael Armitage: Paradise Edict’
Join Michael Armitage as he introduces his works exploring paradise, the 2017 Kenyan Elections and a selection of East African artists who have informed his own practice.
Artists
> 3 years ago
Saturday Sketch Club: drawing as exploration
Discover repetition and transformation in this workshop with Elinor Stanley
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Video: David Hockney on his celebration of spring
With David Hockney’s joyful exhibition of spring works filling our galleries – but the artist back at home in his Normandy studio – curator Edith Devaney catches up with him from the RA, pandemic-style.
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Virtual tour: David Hockney, ‘The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020’
If you haven’t been able to visit our David Hockney exhibition in person, here’s your chance to experience it from home. Make a calming cup of tea, press play, and enjoy the arrival of spring through Hockney’s eyes.
Artists
> 3 years ago
Saturday Sketch Club: botanical drawing
Join Laxmi Hussain for a guided workshop in drawing botanics
Artists
> 3 years ago
Saturday Sketch Club: anatomy drawing
Learn all about anatomy drawing with our online Saturday Sketch Club
Artists
> 3 years ago
How to: make tempera paint
Have a go at making your own paint with eggs, make-up, spices and chalk.
Artists
> 3 years ago
Saturday Sketch Club: collage
Join us for a class in collage with artist Sahra Hersi – all you need is paper, glue and scissors
Artists
> 3 years ago
Saturday Sketch Club: life drawing
Take a lesson in life drawing from Andy Pankhurst in week two of our online Saturday Sketch Club
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Introducing three artists in ‘Michael Armitage: Paradise Edict’
Artists Sane Wadu, Elimo Njau and Asaph Ng‘ethe Macua have played an important role in shaping figurative painting in Kenya – they have also had a profound impact on Armitage’s own artistic development. Learn more about these artists in our short video series.
Artists
> 3 years ago
Saturday Sketch Club: still life
Catch up on the first of our online Saturday Sketch Clubs, focusing on still life drawing with Mark Hampson
Our Collection
> 3 years ago
A slow look: Yinka Shonibare’s ‘Cheeky Little Astronomer’
Take ten minutes to meditate as we guide you through a slow, mindful look at Yinka Shonibare RA’s sculpture.
Artists
> 3 years ago
How to: make paper
Learn how to make your own paper from scratch using a photo frame, a pair of old tights and scrap paper.
Our Collection
> 3 years ago
A slow look: Oriana Reinagle’s ‘Study of trees’
Enjoy five blissful minutes of mindfulness and art with this guided meditation.
Our Collection
< 4 years ago
A slow look: John Aldridge’s ‘Artichokes and Cathay Quinces’
Take ten minutes to meditate as we mindfully guide you through John Aldrige’s still life painting ‘Artichokes and Cathay Quinces’.
Our Collection
< 4 years ago
A slow look: Rodney Burn’s ‘Bracklesham Sands’
Spend 10 mindful minutes on a guided meditation through the details of Rodney Burn RA’s ‘Bracklesham Sands’.
Artists
< 4 years ago
Family how-to: multicolour projectors
Follow these instructions to create your own light installation at home, using a simple DIY projector.
Our Collection
< 4 years ago
In 60 seconds: Waterhouse’s ‘A Mermaid’
Spend 60 seconds exploring the dark mythology behind John William Waterhouse RA’s ‘A Mermaid’.
RA Exhibitions
< 4 years ago
Virtual tour – Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul
Explore the dark territories and raw emotions distilled in the artworks of Tracey Emin and Edvard Munch in this virtual tour of our landmark exhibition.
Inside the Academy
< 4 years ago
Life drawing with Romeo the pony
Two legs good, four legs better? Grab your pencils and sketch this tiny pony in two short poses from our 2019 event #LifeDrawingLive: the anatomy class.
RA Exhibitions
4 years ago
In 60 seconds: Lisa Wright’s ‘Porcelain Gaze’
From Thetford forest to the Medici Venus, unmask the influences behind the work of painter and sculptor, Lisa Wright.
Inside the Academy
4 years ago
Seasons greetings from the RA
From locking down to looking forward: join President Rebecca Salter and Axel Rüger, Secretary and Chief Executive, for a holiday message from the Academicians’ Room.
RA Exhibitions
4 years ago
Inside the exhibition: ‘Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul’
Join Tracey Emin RA as she introduces her selection of masterpieces by Edvard Munch alongside her own works.
Artists
4 years ago
Meet the winners of the 2020 RA Architecture Awards
Be inspired by four practices who are reimagining the future of architecture and learn more about the evocative work of Cristina Iglesias, the 2020 RA Architecture Prize winner.
Artists
4 years ago
Family how-to: felt-tip printing
Make your own unique and colourful prints using felt-tip pens and an old baking dish.
RA Exhibitions
4 years ago
In 60 seconds: Sarah Gillespie’s ‘White Plume Moth’
See how artist Sarah Gillespie turns drawings of drowsy moths into beautiful mezzotint prints – raising awareness of a species that is often overlooked.
RA Exhibitions
4 years ago
Meet the artists of the Young Artists’ Summer Show 2020
Hear from some of the UK’s most talented young artists who are exhibiting in this year’s Young Artists’ Summer Show.
RA Exhibitions
4 years ago
Virtual tour: Summer Exhibition 2020
Explore the first ever winter Summer Exhibition like never before and discover a myriad of works by household names and emerging artists inside this virtual tour.
RA Exhibitions
4 years ago
Inside the Summer Exhibition 2020 with Jane and Louise Wilson RA
Join coordinators Jane and Louise Wilson RA as they introduce the 252nd Summer Exhibition and discuss the challenges of putting it all together during a pandemic.
RA Exhibitions
4 years ago
Watch Anne Desmet RA create ‘Wood Engraver’s Tower’
Learn the story behind Anne Desmet RA’s engraving, which commemorates the centenary year of the Society of Wood Engravers and features in this year’s Summer Exhibition.
RA Exhibitions
> 4 years ago
Origins of the Ordrupgaard Collection
Our latest exhibition, Gauguin and the Impressionists: Masterpieces of the Ordrupgaard Collection, has humble roots in the home of Wilhelm and Henny Hansen. In this video produced by Ordrupgaard, discover how the Hansens transformed their private home into a jewel in the crown of the Danish art scene.
Our Collection
> 4 years ago
7 life drawing shorts to do at home
In 2018, we hosted the world’s first-ever livestreamed life drawing class from the Royal Academy’s famous Life Room, #LifeDrawingLive. Grab a pencil and have a crack at each pose by life model Andrew Crayford.
Artists
> 4 years ago
Family how to: chalk printing
Try these two simple techniques and experiment with using chalk to make colourful abstract prints.
RA Exhibitions
> 4 years ago
Virtual tour: ‘Gauguin and the Impressionists: Masterpieces of the Ordrupgaard Collection’
Step into our galleries to experience ‘Gauguin and the Impressionists: Masterpieces from the Ordrupgaard Collection’, including 60 works – many of which have never been seen in the UK.
Our Collection
> 4 years ago
How to read it: Flaxman’s ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’
The 18th-century British artist John Flaxman was an established sculptor, but it was his drawn illustrations of ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’ that made him a sensation across Europe.
RA Exhibitions
> 4 years ago
Inside the exhibition: Gauguin and the Impressionists
Join curator, Anna Ferrari, as she introduces Gauguin and the Impressionists: Masterpieces of the Ordrupgaard Collection, including works by Manet, Pissarro, Degas and Morisot coming to the UK for the first time.
Artists
> 4 years ago
Anne Desmet RA: engraving angels
Artist Anne Desmet RA documents the weekly progress of her latest wood engraving – inspired by her mother, the resilience of the human spirit, and Florence Nightingale.
Artists
> 4 years ago
Family how-to: shadow puppets
Follow these instructions to design your own puppets and put on a play in a cardboard theatre.
Our Collection
> 4 years ago
How to read it: Annie Swynnerton’s The Letter
In 1922, the Royal Academy elected its first female member in over 150 years, Annie Swynnerton – here’s how to read her enigmatic painting of a young woman.
Artists
> 4 years ago
Family how-to: plastic bag weaving
Follow these simple instructions to make a mini loom and have a go at weaving with recycled plastic bags.
Artists
> 4 years ago
David Hockney: “I’ve never been mainstream. Just be yourself”
Originally released to celebrate David Hockney’s 80th birthday, filmmaker Bruno Wollheim shared 80 short films made with the artist. Now, they are being re-released daily during the Coronavirus pandemic. Watch three of them here.
Artists
> 4 years ago
Family how-to: redesign your street
Experiment with architectural collage and have a go at redesigning your street for future generations.
RA Exhibitions
> 4 years ago
Revisiting the exhibition: Sensing Spaces
In 2014, an architecture exhibition took over the Royal Academy that invited audiences not just to step inside it, but to touch it, smell it and feel it. With a curator’s introduction, a documentary from the show and interviews with the architects, we take a trip back to the monumental exhibition, ‘Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined’.
Artists
> 4 years ago
Family how-to: fabric painting
Follow these easy instructions to brighten up your organic fabrics using natural, home-made dye.
Our Collection
> 4 years ago
How to read it: Meredith Frampton’s Still Life
This meticulous and mysterious work by Meredith Frampton is full of contrasting symbolism. Our Collections team guide you through it in this three-minute read.
Our Collection
> 4 years ago
In 60 seconds: Shonibare’s ‘Cheeky Little Astronomer’
Discover how multicultural influences fuse together to create a wider view of global inclusivity in Yinka Shonibare RA’s cheeky sculpture.
RA Exhibitions
> 4 years ago
Documentary: inside our Manet exhibition
Originally released in cinemas, this ‘Exhibition on Screen’ film takes you back in time to visit the Royal Academy’s 2013 ‘Manet: Portraying Life’ exhibition, one of our most visited shows of all time. Take a trip to 19th-century Paris where the story of this modern master unfolds – and peep behind the scenes at the RA, as the curators prepared to tell his story in this major show.
Our Collection
> 4 years ago
In 60 seconds: Hogarth’s ‘Gin Lane’ & ‘Beer Street’
Learn how a pair of engravings by satirical artist William Hogarth were used to alter the drinking habits of the British public in the 18th century.
RA Exhibitions
> 4 years ago
Video: inside the artists’ gardens
Join curator Ann Dumas on a tour through the gardens of Claude Monet, Pierre Bonnard, Emile Nolde, Max Liebermann and Henri Le Sidaner. Filmed ahead of our 2016 exhibition, ‘Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse’, take a moment to escape to the idyllic rural wilderness.
Artists
> 4 years ago
Video: John Maine RA on the impact of coronavirus on his new sculpture, ‘Turning Point’
In this video from our ‘Artists in Isolation’ series, John Maine RA talks us through the process of making a huge, stone sculpture for Salisbury town centre – and what happens when lockdown lands in the middle of it.
RA Exhibitions
> 4 years ago
Documentary: inside ‘Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse’
Originally released in cinemas, this ‘Exhibition on Screen’ film takes us back to our landmark exhibition, ‘Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse’, examining the role gardens played in the evolution of art from the early 1860s through to the 1920s.
Our Collection
> 4 years ago
How to read it: Frank Cadogan Cowper’s Vanity
Combining allusions to both Renaissance and Pre-Raphaelite painting, Frank Cadogan Cowper’s Vanity celebrates beauty while cautioning against excessive self-regard. Unravel the painting’s influences in this three-minute read.
RA Exhibitions
> 4 years ago
Picasso and Paper: virtual exhibition tour
Experience our ‘Picasso and Paper’ exhibition from home in this video tour of the galleries.
Artists
> 4 years ago
Digital premiere: watch the PHYLLIDA documentary
Enjoy this exclusive digital premiere of the film ‘PHYLLIDA’, a documentary portrait of the artist Phyllida Barlow RA. Released on her birthday, this film celebrates her pioneering contribution to the field of sculpture.
RA Exhibitions
> 4 years ago
In 60 seconds: Gauguin and the Impressionists
On 29 March 2020, we were due to open our new exhibition ‘Gauguin and the Impressionists: Masterpieces from the Ordrupgaard Collection’. Since you can’t come to us, we thought we would bring a taste of it to you. In this video series, see a bite-sized biography of Gauguin, and take a deep dive into Renoir’s ‘Le Moulin de la Galette’ and Manet’s ‘Woman with a Jug’.
RA Exhibitions
< 5 years ago
Video: ‘Léon Spilliaert’ - virtual exhibition tour
While the RA doors are temporarily closed, you can still experience our exhibition on Belgian artist Léon Spilliaert in this video tour of the galleries.
RA Exhibitions
< 5 years ago
Video: Inside the exhibition – Picasso and Paper
Join curator Ann Dumas in exploring our new exhibition, ‘Picasso and Paper’. See how the iconic artist innovated by tearing, burning, sculpting and collaging with any paper he could get his hands on.
RA Exhibitions
< 5 years ago
Video: watch Picasso make a masterpiece
Filmed in 1956, ‘Le Mystère Picasso’ is a documentary capturing Picasso in full creative flow. Three of the works he’s seen making in the film are now the walls of the RA, in ‘Picasso and Paper’ – watch how one of them came to be, in this short film…
RA Exhibitions
< 5 years ago
Video: meet insomniac artist Léon Spilliaert
Belgian artist Léon Spilliaert was an insomniac. He wandered the streets of Brussels at night in search of inspiration. In this video, delve into the solitude and mystery that encompasses the artist’s evocative paintings.
RA Exhibitions
5 years ago
Video: Lucian Freud’s painting technique
The 50 Lucian Freud self-portraits currently on show at the RA reveal how the artist developed his distinctive painting technique throughout his career. Find out more in this video.
RA Exhibitions
> 5 years ago
Thomas Houseago: Summer Exhibition 2019
“There’s an experience that art can offer which is this strange combination of activating the eyes, the mind, the body and a kind of emotional spectrum.”
RA Exhibitions
> 5 years ago
Video: meet the artists of the Young Artists’ Summer Show
Hear from some of the talented artists in our Young Artists’ Summer Show, which celebrates the creativity of young people aged 7-19.
RA Exhibitions
> 5 years ago
Video: Félix Vallotton in 60 seconds
Tim Marlow gives a quick introduction to Félix Vallotton, the Swiss-born painter and printmaker whose portrayals of Belle Epoque Paris reveal a truly distinctive artistic vision.
Artists
> 5 years ago
Norman Foster RA introduces the Museo del Prado extension
In this video, architect Norman Foster RA discusses the redevelopment of Madrid’s Museo del Prado and his practice’s unique take on the boundaries between the old and the new.
RA Exhibitions
> 5 years ago
Video: Alexa Chung at the Summer Exhibition
Join presenter and fashion designer Alexa Chung for a (very) private view of this year’s Summer Exhibition, as she picks out some of her favourite works.
RA Exhibitions
< 6 years ago
“There’s more than just the surface of life… the real thing is underneath” – Bill Viola
For video artist Bill Viola, water is a powerful and recurring theme, and one that’s central to our landmark exhibition, ‘Bill Viola / Michelangelo: Life, Death, Rebirth’. In this interview, the artist traces this back to a formative incident in his childhood.
RA Exhibitions
6 years ago
Artists of Oceania: John Pule
Artist John Pule, who is from Niue and New Zealand, introduces his five-panel painting ‘Kehe tau hauaga foou (To all new arrivals)’ in our Oceania exhibition.
RA Exhibitions
6 years ago
Video: Learn about this spectacular headdress in Oceania
This huge feather headdress from Papua New Guinea is 100 years old and has rarely been shown in public due to its delicate nature.
RA Exhibitions
6 years ago
Video: Egon Schiele in 60 seconds
Tim Marlow gives a quick introduction to Egon Schiele, whose extraordinary works on paper are on show in our exhibition ‘Klimt / Schiele’.
RA Exhibitions
6 years ago
Artists of Oceania: Mata Aho Collective
New Zealand’s Mata Aho Collective introduce their spectacular 11-metre installation ‘Kiko Moana’, which hangs in the opening room of our Oceania exhibition.
RA Exhibitions
6 years ago
Video: Gustav Klimt in 60 seconds
Tim Marlow gives a quick introduction to Gustav Klimt, one of the two Viennese masters whose works on paper are shown side-by-side in our exhibition ‘Klimt / Schiele’.
RA Exhibitions
6 years ago
Video: Oceania and the art of tattooing
Tattoo has a long history in the South Pacific, as shown by a number of historic treasures and contemporary artworks in our Oceania exhibition. In this video, a traditional tā moko (Māori tattoo) artist talks about his work.
RA Exhibitions
> 6 years ago
Introducing our 2019 exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts
From the genius of the Renaissance to immersive new work created specially for our galleries, next year’s exhibitions promise to exhilarate and inspire. The RA’s Artistic Director, Tim Marlow, introduces our packed programme for 2019.
RA Exhibitions
> 6 years ago
Video: Grayson Perry inside the Summer Exhibition
Take a look inside the 250th Summer Exhibition in this video with coordinator Grayson Perry RA, as he shows us some of his highlights of this year’s show.
Inside the Academy
> 6 years ago
Video: behind the scenes at the new RA
Artistic director Tim Marlow gives a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Royal Academy of Arts.
RA Exhibitions
> 6 years ago
Video: Tracey Emin RA on her largest-ever text piece
Hanging from the vast Victorian glass roof of St Pancras International, I Want My Time With You is the latest in the Terrace Wires public art series. In this video, Tracey Emin discusses the origins of the work and why she chose these particular words.
RA Exhibitions
< 7 years ago
Video: Artemisia Gentileschi in 60 seconds
Tim Marlow gives a quick introduction to Artemisia Gentileschi, one of very few women who carved out a career in the 17th-century art world.
RA Exhibitions
7 years ago
Video: what you need to know about Duchamp’s Fountain
2017 marks 100 years since a porcelain urinal changed the course of modern art. In this video, Professor Dawn Ades tells the story behind Marcel Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’.
RA Exhibitions
7 years ago
Video: what is encaustic painting?
Encaustic is an ancient painting method in which wax and pigment are fused onto a surface with heat. Watch a demonstration of this versatile technique by Royal Academician Terry Setch, recorded in his Cardiff studio.
RA Exhibitions
7 years ago
Inside the show: Matisse in the Studio
From African masks to ornate furniture, the objects that Henri Matisse collected throughout his life played a key role in his art. Learn more in these videos with curator Ann Dumas.
RA Exhibitions
> 7 years ago
Video: Henri Matisse in 60 seconds
Tim Marlow gives a 60-second introduction to Henri Matisse, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
Artists
> 7 years ago
Exploring watercolour with Christopher Le Brun PPRA
Think you know watercolour? Think again. Join Christopher Le Brun PPRA in his London studio as he debunks some of the myths about this versatile medium and its possibilities.
RA Exhibitions
< 8 years ago
Inside the show: art of the Russian Revolution
In these videos, take a look inside our exhibition of post-revolutionary Russian art and learn more about the vast 1932 exhibition in Leningrad that inspired it.
RA Exhibitions
< 8 years ago
Video: Edward Hopper in 60 seconds
In our latest 60-second guide, Tim Marlow introduces Edward Hopper, perhaps the most important American realist painter of the early 20th century.
RA Exhibitions
8 years ago
Video: Abstract Expressionists in 60 seconds
Got a minute? In these short videos, the RA’s Artistic Director introduces five of the key figures of Abstract Expressionism.
Artists
8 years ago
How to… make a wood engraving, with Anne Desmet
In the first part of our new video series looking at artistic techniques, Anne Desmet RA demonstrates each step in creating a wood engraving, from tracing the original drawing through to printing a first proof.
RA Exhibitions
> 8 years ago
What’s coming up in 2017 at the Royal Academy of Arts
The RA’s Artistic Director introduces our 2017 exhibition programme, which explores some of the most momentous developments in 20th-century art.
RA Exhibitions
> 8 years ago
Video: What’s it like to sit for David Hockney?
Hear from four of the sitters painted by David Hockney for our exhibition ‘David Hockney RA: 82 Portraits and 1 Still-life’, from 11-year-old Rufus Hale to the architect Frank Gehry.
RA Exhibitions
> 8 years ago
Video: In the studio with David Hockney RA
David Hockney RA talks to curator Edith Devaney about his Royal Academy exhibition ‘82 Portraits and 1 Still-life’.
Artists
> 8 years ago
Making a Japanese woodblock print for the Summer Exhibition
In this video, Rebecca Salter RA explains the traditional tools and techniques used by the Sato Woodblock Workshop in Kyoto when creating her print for the Summer Exhibition 2016.
RA Exhibitions
< 9 years ago
Video: Kandinsky and the avant-gardeners
For Matisse, Kandinsky and Munch, the garden provided inspiration as they worked towards new styles of painting.
RA Exhibitions
9 years ago
Video: a visit to three artist gardens in northern France
Take a tour of three beautiful gardens which inspired paintings in our forthcoming exhibition on the garden in art.
RA Exhibitions
9 years ago
Jean-Etienne Liotard: inside the show
In this video series, curator MaryAnne Stevens takes us inside the Sackler Wing exhibition devoted to the 18th century Swiss master, Jean-Etienne Liotard, and picks out a few highlights.
Artists
9 years ago
David Remfry RA on his portraits of people and dogs
In this video, the Royal Academician discusses his new book which brings together portraits of friends and neighbours with their canine companions.
Artists
9 years ago
Lessons in life, love and art from Marina Abramovic
From losing consciousness to sitting motionless every day for three months, the inimitable artist pushes her body to its limits. Watch her in conversation with Bryan Appleyard.
Artists
9 years ago
Fred Cuming RA: portrait of an artist
Fred Cuming RA reflects on his long career as a painter in this short film, shot in and around his East Sussex home.
RA Exhibitions
9 years ago
From Monet to Hockney: 2016 at the Royal Academy
The Royal Academy’s Artistic Director explains what’s in store in for the next year as we launch our 2016 exhibition programme.
RA Exhibitions
> 9 years ago
Richard E Grant at the Summer Exhibition 2015
A long-time fan of the Royal Academy’s annual Summer Exhibition, actor Richard E Grant takes us on a whistle-stop tour of his favourite works of art in this year’s show.
Artists
> 9 years ago
Postcards from the edge of the Earth: Emma Stibbon’s polar art
A new exhibition showcases the Academician’s artistic response to her Arctic and Antarctic journeys.
Artists
> 9 years ago
Fiona Rae RA: “I’ve always had an experimental approach to painting”
The Royal Academician explains how turning away from colour has had an invigorating effect on her work.
RA Exhibitions
> 9 years ago
Richard Diebenkorn: inside the show
Take a look inside our Richard Diebenkorn exhibition in these short videos presented by the exhibition’s curators.
Artists
> 9 years ago
Hughie O’Donoghue RA: “painting is archaeology in reverse”
The Royal Academician explains how the nature of memory and a sense of place are driving forces in his latest series of paintings.
Artists
< 10 years ago
Cornelia Parker’s poppies at the Whitworth
A survey of work by Cornelia Parker RA is the opening show at Manchester’s newly renovated Whitworth Gallery – featuring a room hung with the negatives from a poppy factory.
Our Collection
< 10 years ago
On the Reynolds trail in the RA archive
On the eve of a major exhibition in London dedicated to Sir Joshua Reynolds, we delve into the RA’s archive to learn more about the Academy’s founding president.
RA Exhibitions
10 years ago
Video: dressing an Italian countess
What was it like to wear the elaborate clothes of a Renaissance aristocrat, as seen in the portraits of Giovanni Battista Moroni? Award winning actor Mark Rylance reveals all.
Our Collection
10 years ago
Video: how we made Mr. Turner
Who was Mr. Turner? A contradiction, Timothy Spall told us at a recent panel discussion on Mike Leigh’s biopic. Watch the event and a behind-the-scenes video about the film here.
Inside the Academy
10 years ago
Who’s who in ‘Mr. Turner’?
Mike Leigh’s new film brings to life one of British art’s brightest stars and features several scenes set at the RA. We take a look at the supporting cast of Turner’s friends and rivals at the Academy.
Artists
> 10 years ago
Behind the scenes: Anselm Kiefer’s studio at Barjac
In the lead-up to his major RA exhibition this autumn, we take a look inside the artist’s huge “gesamtkunstwerk” in the south of France.
RA Exhibitions
> 10 years ago
A look inside ‘Radical Geometry’
Explore some of the highlights in our exhibition of groundbreaking abstract art from 20th-century South America
Artists
> 10 years ago
Tracey Emin talks about ‘My Bed’
Tracey Emin RA’s ‘My Bed’ (1998), one of the seminal works of the Young British Artist generation, goes up for sale at Christie’s on Tuesday 1 July.
RA Exhibitions
> 10 years ago
Varnishing Day at the Summer Exhibition 2014
Celebrating with the artists in this year’s Summer Exhibition.
Artists
> 10 years ago
Paint inspiration: Ken Howard RA
Ken Howard RA’s range of interior paints created specially for the Royal Academy is inspired by his beloved Venice, a city where he has had a studio for the past 10 years.
Artists
< 11 years ago
Meet the architects: Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura
More than any other architects, Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura have made me look with a fresh eye at the Royal Academy’s galleries and architecture.
Artists
< 11 years ago
Meet the architects: Kengo Kuma
It may seem a strange term for an architect to coin, but Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has been developing an idea of what he calls “weak architecture”.
Artists
< 11 years ago
Meet the architects: Diébédo Francis Kéré
When putting together this group of architects I purposefully sought out those who would bring a variety of perspectives on how we think about architecture and the spaces around us.
Artists
11 years ago
Meet the architects: Li Xiaodong
It was when sitting with Li Xiaodong in a courtyard garden in the Huairou district, a mountainous area near the Great Wall, an hour north of Beijing, that many of his observations of Chinese culture and sensibilities became much clearer for me.
Artists
11 years ago
Meet the architects: Sofia von Ellrichshausen and Mauricio Pezo
Spending some time with the Chilean architects who ‘consider’ rather than ‘design’.
Artists
11 years ago
Meet the architects: Grafton
“Buildings tell the stories of our lives in built form… We walk through and feel spaces with our whole bodies and our senses, not just with our eyes and with our minds. We are fully involved in the experience; this is what makes us human.”
Inside the Academy
11 years ago
Nicolas Bourriaud: What is the exform?
Culture, history and rejection in the Google era.